Salah Khalil and David Wheeler speak at IE education conference

Madrid, 23 October 2012 - Alexandria Trust Founder Salah Khalil and Al-Fanar Media founding Editor David L. Wheeler participated at the third annual IE University conference. The theme for this year’s conference is 'Reinventing Higher Education'. The conference gathered university administrators, policy makers, entrepreneurs, academics, and other stakeholders to discuss the current state of and future directions for global higher education, particularly in the areas of research, learning, governance and management.

Wheeler moderated a panel on ‘Philanthropy and Education in the Arab World’. Panelists, in addition to Khalil, included Mahmoud Ezzamel, Professorial Fellow at Cardiff University, and Celia de Anca, Head of the Center for Diversity at IE Business School (ES). Khalil spoke about the need for a new model of philanthropy in the Arab world to support educational access and quality. “This is a major issue for the coming generations,” he said, emphasising the need for a new approach to philanthropy that creates means for individuals to leverage their wealth for transformational benefit across society.

The panel engaged with the audience in a discussion on the state and future of Arab higher education, including the impact of the Arab uprising; the results of government-led investment in higher education in the region; and the challenges of balancing labor market needs with the need for a balanced education for all students that fosters critical thinking and engaged citizenship.